Western Region News Archives – Page 2 of 18

Hurricane Helene Recovery Update – December 18, 2024

Dear Friends and Supporters,

I recently saw my neighbor Jim down at the creek a couple of miles from our homes collecting and piling up trash. When asked, he said he was doing it because it needed to be done.

December ushers in the longest nights of the year in reality and metaphorically. The darkness reflects many of our neighbors’ struggles with losses to their homes, wages, and places they love. Helene reminded us just how vulnerable we are to nature’s wrath and the impacts of climate change.

This may be why some traditions choose to celebrate this time with light. A Christmas tree illuminates our living room every evening. The eight days of Hanukkah will begin soon. Kwanzaa candles will be lit. December is also when daylight starts to last a little longer.

We are entering a phase in the recovery when we are no longer in the national news, the urgency and inflow of help slows, and we acknowledge this is our new normal. It won’t be easy. Even our state legislature has chosen politics over supporting the people of WNC by holding up recovery funds. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised.

As my grandfather used to say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Well, friends, this is our time. We need each other more than ever to succeed. Western North Carolinians are resilient. We’ve lost a lot, but we will rebuild again. MountainTrue and our army of volunteers and staff will be there every step of the way.

I am grateful for my neighbor Jim. Like you, he embodies a can-do spirit. And though we are still mourning our losses, we can look to better days ahead with hope and confidence.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday!

Bob Wagner

Executive Director

Contribute to the MountainStrong Recovery & Resilience Fund

Get Involved: Take Action

MountainTrue has four active action alerts: check them out below and sign on to make your voice heard.

✅Take action to protect Hellbenders!

✅Help us remove debris from our rivers after Hurricane Helene

✅Protect the Nolichucky River: Urge CSX to rebuild responsibly without damaging public lands

✅Support an eviction moratorium & boost housing aid for Helene survivors

Clean Waters Team

Public Safety Announcements

⚠️ Read our Volunteer Safety Guidelines blog – always wear your PPE when participating in a cleanup or if you know you’ll come in contact with mud/sediment leftover from Helene.

Well Water Testing Updates

💧The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to offer free well testing. Where to get a bacteria sampling kit through the end of December: (after December we are switching to appointment only)

✔️Johnson County, TN: Tennessee/NC State Line Resource Center (11878 US-421, Trade, TN) from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on TUESDAYS, and 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on SATURDAYS through December 28. State Line is in desperate need of volunteers, if you’re interested in volunteering at State Line Resource Center visit their website and/or sign up for volunteer shifts here.

✔️If you’re interested in getting your well or spring tested for E. coli bacteria, you can also email emma@mountaintrue.org or call 828-446-5086 for an appointment, supplies, and/or water quality info.

Soil and Water Pollution Testing Updates

🔬 The Watauga Riverkeeper team is excited to further their sampling efforts in the New Year by tracking down sources of E. coli contamination. This will help our team understand sources of pollution, stop them, and advocate for better protections for our headwater streams.

Come see us at the Boone’s Winter Farmers Market on January 18, 2025, @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm and February 1, 2025, @ 10:00 am – 1:00 pm to pick up a bacteria testing kit for your well or spring, or learn more about other testing options! We’ll be doing livestaking demonstrations and teaching about erosion and stream sedimentation. We’ll also be offering pay-as-you-can native trees; teaching about the different species, and sending you home with a bundle of trees to plant yourself! If you’re interested in helping us identify places in need of stream bank repair for future volunteer workdays please answer a few quick questions HERE.

River Cleanups Update

🗑️ MountainTrue’s French Broad, Green, and Watauga Riverkeepers will continue to host cleanups in the coming weeks; look for cleanup info + updates in these weekly emails and on our Instagram and Facebook accounts: MountainTrue Instagram, Facebook + Twitter, French Broad Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Green Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook, Watauga Riverkeeper Instagram + Facebook.

🗑 Upcoming river cleanup:

✔️ Madison County, NC:

🔹12/19, Marshall: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

✔️ High Country, NC:

🔹Save the date: 1/25, Lansing, Big Horse Creek with New River Conservancy and Keep Ashe Beautiful: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

🔹Save the date: 4/12, Creston, North Fork New River, with New River Conservancy: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

🗑️ The Watauga Riverkeeper is planning to host regular river cleanup volunteer opportunities in the New Year. While we’ve removed nearly 35,000 lbs of debris with volunteers over the past few months, there is still much work to be done. We’re grateful to each and every one of our volunteers who make these workdays such a success. We had a great turnout at our last river cleanup at Old Cove Creek School at the County Park, and we anticipate more opportunities to help with recovery in the future. If you know of areas that are in need of cleaning, please fill out our debris reporting form HERE.

Thank you to our partners, The Speckled Trout Outfitters and The Build For Good Foundation, for lending a hand and making cleanups a breeze! If you’re interested in sponsoring a future cleanup or donating gear like waders, boots, or gloves, please contact hannah@mountaintrue.org.

Other River Updates: High Country

✔️ As the Watauga Riverkeeper team prepares for their winter livestaking season, they’re collecting information to determine viable planting areas in the watershed. Please fill out our Livestaking Bank Stabilization Survey.

✔️ The Watauga Riverkeeper is still collecting data on large debris too difficult to remove by hand (including but not limited to propane tanks, cars, fridges, bridges, etc); fill out the form here. We’ll be using this info to help SDR and FEMA crews prioritize areas for clean-up in the coming weeks and months.

Healthy Communities Team

Temporary Housing Solutions Offered Across WNC

Whether you’re looking for short-term housing due to impacts from Helene or you have a home available to offer to families in need of housing, both the Asheville Buncombe Community Land Trust and the NC STR Alliance would like to work with you. They’ve both created programs to match those who need shelter with available homes. Learn about the ABCLT matching program here. Learn about the NC STR Alliance program here. Want to talk to someone directly about these programs? Contact Susan Bean at susan@mountaintrue.org.

Design Volunteers Needed!

MountainTrue is excited to announce the launch of a community-driven design program aimed at helping rebuild areas in Western North Carolina that were devastated by Hurricane Helene. Currently, our Recovery and Resilience Design Teams are focused on providing assistance to the Swannanoa and Marshall communities. Ultimately, we hope to provide the critical design services to communities throughout Western North Carolina.

To make this initiative a success, we need volunteers from a variety of design disciplines, including:

✔️Architects

✔️Engineers (structural and civil)

✔️Landscape Architects

✔️Environmental Consultants

✔️Land Planners

✔️Surveyors

✔️Soil Scientists

Many communities are still in rescue and recovery mode, and they may not yet fully understand their design needs. Banking design hours now is crucial for meeting future commitments to these communities.

If you’re a designer interested in volunteering and ready to pledge some hours, or if your community needs design assistance, please reach out to our Director of Healthy Communities, Chris Joyell, at chris@mountaintrue.org. Together, we can make a meaningful impact in the recovery process.

FEMA Application Deadline Extended to Jan. 7, 2025

To complete your application…

✔️ In-Person: Visit your local Disaster Recovery Center (DRC Locator: https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator)

✔️ Online: DisasterAssistance.gov available 24/7.

✔️ Phone: 800-621-3362, available daily 7:00am-11:00pm, multilingual.

MT Raleigh Report: Politics, Disaster Relief, and the Fight for Western North Carolina’s Future

What a year – in Raleigh and, of course, in Western North Carolina.

Among the many lessons those of us here in the mountains learned, again, this year is that what happens – or does not – in Raleigh has a real impact on our communities, our mountains, and our future.

Certainly, that has to be one of the takeaways about the North Carolina General Assembly’s response to the disaster that hit the mountains a couple of months ago. Since September, the legislature has approved three bills that included disaster-related funding for a total of $1.13 billion in state funds. Click here for an overview of the legislature’s efforts on the disaster to date.

The most recent of these bills is SB382, which included $225 million transferred to a state fund for disaster relief but NOT approved for any specific program or project. Leaving that transfer aside, SB382 included a mere $32 million approved for disaster relief. The remaining balance must be earmarked and approved by the legislature before it reaches WNC.

Beyond the first dozen or so pages loosely focused around disaster relief are over 100 pages of “Various Law Changes,” the real meat of SB382 designed largely to shift power away from the executive branch. This power grab disguised as disaster relief caused three WNC Republican Representatives – Mike Clampitt, Karl Gillespie, and Mark Pless – to join Democrats in voting against the bill, although it passed both the House and Senate in otherwise party-line votes. It also prompted Governor Cooper to veto the bill, but his veto was later overridden by Republican supermajorities in both chambers and became law. Despite their initial opposition to the bill, Clampitt, Gillespie, and Pless all voted to override the veto and allow the bill to become law.

So why is disaster relief getting held up? It’s certainly not because money’s tight. State Budget officials recently told a legislative committee has a whopping $9.1 billion in inappropriate reserves, including almost $4.8 billion that was in the state’s “rainy day fund” itself when Helene hit, plus $1 billion in a stabilization and inflation reserve and another $732.5 million in a emergency response/disaster reserve. Legislators could also use another $1.1 billion from savings and still remain in compliance with state law.

Gov. Cooper’s request for a $3.9 billion state set-aside for hurricane relief presumed the use of about $3.5 billion from these sources.

So, if money is not the problem, what is the hold up on state disaster relief? For their part, budget writers for the Republican majorities in the House and Senate argue that it’s smart policy to hold back state relief funding and allow federal disaster relief to make its way to the region. They worry that if state funds are used on efforts that are eligible for federal relief, the feds may not reimburse the state for its recovery efforts. GOP budget writers say it’s better to let the federal money be the first in – and the state funding the last to address needs FEMA and other federal programs do not get to. They also point out that Congress is likely to provide more money for WNC recovery before the end of 2024.

The problem with waiting, of course, is that many in WNC need help, now, for things we know that the federal government won’t pay for. Many small business owners, for example, can’t afford to take on more debt via the disaster loan programs offered by FEMA. Without direct grants, many business owners say their businesses won’t survive the disaster.

Debris removal is also an urgent need. While the federal agencies and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have both state and federal funds to help local governments clear rivers of storm debris, these funds are often restricted to trees and other natural debris – not the cars, trucks, and tons of garbage that were swept into every river basin in the region – and are further restricted to those debris jams that pose a risk to flooding or structural damage. The funding is also distributed locally, making regional clean-up efforts more difficult to get up and running. And timing is important: our rivers and streams need to be safe and ready to use come spring when the outdoor recreational season brings thousands of visitors and their dollars to the region.

With those waters – and our outdoor economy – in mind, MountainTrue has asked legislators to fund a regional debris clean-up effort that is also supported by the outdoor recreation industry’s umbrella group, the Outdoor Recreation Coalition. Our goal is to employ those in the outdoor industry, who have been displaced by the disaster, to clear out tons of debris in time for the start of the recreation season this spring. Despite the legislature’s reluctance to use state funds for this kind of effort, MountainTrue has started a small pilot program in Madison County with private funds that will make some popular whitewater safe for paddlers early in 2025.

We plan to use this pilot to continue to lobby legislators for debris removal funding – and employment for those put out of work by the disaster. Early word in Raleigh is that legislators will take up a state-funded package of disaster recovery efforts early in their 2025 session, which begins in late January.

Looking further back into the legislature’s work this year doesn’t provide much more to celebrate. With GOP supermajorities in both the House and Senate AND a budget surplus topping $1 billion, legislative leaders were unable to muster the votes to send a revised budget for FY2024-2025 to Gov Cooper this summer. In the absence of a revised budget, they left the surplus uninvested and dozens of important conservation projects, including many in WNC, unfunded.

Unfortunately, the 2025 legislative session doesn’t provide much hope that lawmakers will address the many issues facing North Carolina. With the GOP supermajority now gone in the House, the 2025 session promises to be a drawn-out stalemate between the GOP leadership in the General Assembly and Governor-elect Josh Stein, a Democrat.

For its part, MountainTrue will continue to be in the middle of debates about disaster recovery and rebuilding, clean water and air, and sustainable development and rebuilding. Thank you for the investments you make in MountainTrue and its work in Raleigh – we couldn’t do it without you.

Hurricane Helene Recovery Update – December 4, 2024

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Every year in early December, my family goes to Sandy Hollar Farm to cut down our Christmas tree. The farm is classic Western North Carolina. We take the tractor ride to the top of the mountain where we hunt for the “perfect” tree. After some debate, we settle on one, and then my boys and I get to work with the dull saw chopping it down. It’s a family tradition that I love.

As December ushers in some cold, snowy days, we know that because of Helene, more people than usual will find the holidays hard. And while much progress has been made, many homes, businesses, and communities remain wrecked from the storm.

At MountainTrue, we have pivoted our resources to address some of the biggest issues facing our region. We hired a River Cleanup Coordinator to ramp up our volunteer efforts around the most hard-hit river basins. We continue to test for pollution and toxins in our wells and rivers. Our Healthy Communities team is piloting a program pairing volunteer designers and planners with devastated communities to help them create a more climate-resilient build-back plan. Our Resilient Forests team continues to advocate for forest management practices that center climate impacts like Helene.

The people of WNC are resilient and hopeful. We will clean up, recover, and rebuild our rivers, forests, and communities one day, one family, one tree at a time – and will not rest until that work is done. Thank you for your support and for being MountainTrue!

Bob Wagner

Executive Director

Contribute to the MountainStrong Recovery & Resilience Fund

Get Involved: Take Action

MountainTrue has three active action alerts: check them out below and sign on to make your voice heard.

✅Help us remove debris from our rivers after Hurricane Helene

✅Protect the Nolichucky River: Urge CSX to rebuild responsibly without damaging public lands

✅Support an eviction moratorium & boost housing aid for Helene survivors

Clean Waters Team

Public Safety Announcements

⚠️ Read our Volunteer Safety Guidelines blog – always wear your PPE when participating in a cleanup or if you know you’ll come in contact with mud/sediment leftover from Helene.

Well Water Testing Updates

💧The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to offer free well testing. If your well has been flooded or flood waters pooled around your well, then we recommend having your well tested for bacteria pollution. We’re asking that only wells that were flooded during Helene be tested. After testing, we can connect you with resources for next steps – or there may be no action required! Where to get a bacteria sampling kit through the end of December:

Soil and Water Pollution Testing Updates

🔬 The Watauga Riverkeeper team is continuing to collect surface water samples and testing for bacteria and chemicals. Levels of E. coli have generally been low or stabilizing to “normal” levels. We’re still waiting for the lab results of our most recent chemical sampling round, and appreciate our monthly volunteers that collect from 17 sites across the New, Elk, and Watauga rivers. We’re ramping up our monitoring and will be using sample results to track down septic, sewer leaks, and other water quality issues within our watershed jurisdiction.

🔬 The French Broad Riverkeeper team will have another sampling blitz on Thursday, December 12. From 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., volunteers can help us track pollution sources around the Swannanoa River Watershed. Learn more + register.

🔬 The French Broad Riverkeeper team received another round of water and sediment sample results back from the lab. Those results mostly tell a positive story:

These include water and sediment samples from the Nolichucky River in Erwin + the Nolichucky downstream of Erwin; the Swannanoa River in Swannanoa and Biltmore Village; the French Broad River at Westfeldt Park, Woodfin, Marshall, and Hot Springs; Mud Creek downstream of Hendersonville; and the North Toe River downstream of Spruce Pine.

We’ve analyzed these results, with the help of other water experts. We found a variety of pollutants, but are encouraged by our findings and the lower levels of those pollutants. We continue to find a host of metals in our samples, but for the most part, these metals are at fairly low levels (not above background levels) and aren’t very problematic to human health or the environment. We did find some pollutants with higher concerns around toxicity, such as Trichloroethylene (TCE), Pyrene, and Diesel Range Organics.

TCE was found in the sediment at Charles D. Owen Park along the Swannanoa River in Swannanoa. TCE is volatile, meaning it readily evaporates into the air at room temperature, where people can sometimes smell it. It’s used as a solvent to remove grease from metal, spots from clothing, and as a paint stripper. It’s also an ingredient in paints, varnishes, adhesives, and it’s used to make other products like furniture and electric/electronic equipment. The results found in our sample were 7.19 ug/kg, which is much lower than most state regulatory limits.

Pyrene was found at 286 ug/kg in our Woodfin sediment sample along the French Broad River. Pyrene is one of a group of chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). PAHs are a group of naturally occurring pollutants. Pyrene is a natural component of coal tar, crude oil, and fossil fuels. The health effects of brief exposures to pyrene are unknown. Longer-term animal studies show that pyrene can cause nephropathy (kidney disease) and decreased kidney weight. Based on the regulatory levels we studied, this level does not appear alarming.

We also found Acetone in several of our samples, including a Nolichucky water sample taken downstream of Erwin, Swannanoa sediment samples at Charles D. Owen Park and Biltmore Village, and sediment samples from the French Broad in Marshall and Woodfin. Because of the low level of acetone found, we aren’t terribly concerned about the exposure this pollutant presents.

Another test was run to look for the impact of fuel that was present in the flood waters. We had the lab run two tests to look for any remaining fuel in the water or sediment in the form of diesel range organics (DRO) and gasoline range organics. None of our samples showed gasoline range organics, but DRO was present in five samples. The samples that showed DRO were all sediment samples and included the following locations: the North Toe at Penland (5.7 mg/kg), French Broad River at Woodfin (37.4 mg/kg), French Broad River in Marshall (16.9 mg/kg), the Swannanoa River at Charles D. Owen Park (69.7 mg/kg) and Biltmore Village (74 mg/kg). According to an NC State Extension article about DRO in soil for gardening, these levels would be classified as low or moderate.

River Cleanups Update

🗑 Upcoming river cleanups:

✔️ Buncombe County, NC:

🔹12/5, Asheville: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

🔹12/12, Alexander: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

✔️ Polk County, NC:

🔹12/14, Saluda: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. @ Lower Green; roadside cleanup. Learn more + register.

✔️ High Country, NC:

🔹12/14, Cove Creek: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register. (rain date is 12/21)

🔹Save the date: 1/25, Lansing: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

🗑️ The French Broad Riverkeeper team, with help from awesome volunteers, has hauled out almost 90,000 pounds of trash via cleanups in Transylvania County, Buncombe County’s River Parks, Asheville’s River Arts District, and Madison County’s public access points, along with all of our Paddle Trail campsites. These locations will expand as access is reopened and the scale is better known.

The need is so great that MountainTrue has hired a full-time River Cleanup Coordinator. We’re pleased to introduce Jon Stamper, formerly of Asheville Adventure Company (AAC), to lead this effort. Stamper’s story is familiar to many in our river community. AAC was devastated by the flood and almost everyone is out of work until the river can be restored to a safe and accessible condition. To get this rolling through the winter and onwards, Stamper will be leading three to four cleanups a week throughout the areas impacted most heavily by Hurricane Helene, including the French Broad, but also the Watauga, Nolichucky, Green, and Broad. Let Stamper know if you have a group that you would like to bring out for a work day by emailing cleanup@mountaintrue.org.

We’re also partnering with Blue Heron Whitewater to put 18 raft guides back to work cleaning up the French Broad in Madison County via generous funding from local donors.

While we’re still seeking large-scale state and federal funding to dramatically expand this work, we’re already doing quite a bit with the resources we currently have. If you would like to support this effort with funding or equipment, please email jack@mountaintrue.org.

🗑️ The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to haul out massive amounts of trash from our riparian areas. Since Helene, we’ve removed over 27,000 pounds of trash with volunteers across nine+ river cleanups. Thank you to partners like The Speckled Trout Outfitters and Blue Ridge Conservancy for helping coordinate debris removal! And thank you to Deer Valley Athletic Club and Beech Mountain Ski Resort for supporting our cleanups and providing snacks and refreshments to volunteers. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future cleanup, please contact hannah@mountaintrue.org

Other River Updates: High Country

Healthy Communities Team

Temporary Housing Solutions Offered Across WNC

Design Volunteers Needed!

To make this initiative a success, we need volunteers from a variety of design disciplines, including:

✔️Architects

✔️Engineers (structural and civil)

✔️Landscape Architects

✔️Environmental Consultants

✔️Land Planners

✔️Surveyors

✔️Soil Scientists

FEMA Application Deadline Extended to Jan. 7, 2025

To complete your application…

✔️ In-Person: Visit your local Disaster Recovery Center (DRC Locator: https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator)

✔️ Online: DisasterAssistance.gov available 24/7.

✔️ Phone: 800-621-3362, available daily 7:00am-11:00pm, multilingual.

Henderson County, NC, Affordable Housing Listening Sessions

Henderson County residents: check out the rescheduled listening session dates here.

Hurricane Helene Recovery Update – November 18, 2024

Dear Friends and Supporters,

During these times of hardship, I am more present. I notice the intricate spots in my dog’s fur, take more time to chat with and listen to my neighbor in front of their house draped with a blue tarp, and admire the mountain view that used to be obscured by a large oak tree. And, while there are plenty of reasons to remain despondent, right now, I am choosing to be grateful. Grateful for drinking water flowing in my sink, a dry and warm home, roads not blocked by downed power lines or trees, being able to hike a short section on the MST, and much more. And, I’ve realized that the goal is not to recover what we’ve lost, but to rebuild in ways that make us a stronger, more resilient, and caring community. Helene has given us this opportunity.

At MountainTrue we realize it may take years to remove the debris and restore our rivers, clear our favorite trails, and rebuild our neighborhoods. See below to read about the MountainTrue staff and volunteers who are working on critical issues now. We will not miss the opportunity to strengthen the fabric of our communities. We are excited about the days ahead and give thanks for each of you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Bob Wagner

Executive Director

Contribute to the MountainStrong Recovery & Resilience Fund

Get Involved: Take Action

MountainTrue has four active action alerts: check them out below and sign on to make your voice heard.

✅Help us remove debris from our rivers after Hurricane Helene

✅Protect the Nolichucky River: Urge CSX to rebuild responsibly without damaging public lands

✅Protect the Broad River Basin: Comment on the 2024 Broad River Basin Plan for the future of our lakes, rivers, & streams (comment deadline = 11/22; read MountainTrue’s comments and the Basin Plan on our action page)

✅Support an eviction moratorium & boost housing aid for Helene survivors

Clean Waters Team

Public Safety Announcements

⚠️ Read our Volunteer Safety Guidelines blog – always wear your PPE when participating in a cleanup or if you know you’ll come in contact with mud/sediment leftover from Helene.

⚠️ MountainTrue’s Riverkeepers and Clean Waters Team ask that you stay out of rivers and waterways at the moment.

Well Water Testing Updates

💧The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to offer free well testing in partnership with the NC Department of Health and Human Services and Waterkeepers Carolina.

💧Who should test: If your well has been flooded or flood waters pooled around your well, then we recommend having your well tested for bacteria pollution. We don’t recommend testing every well and there aren’t resources to test every well, so we’re asking that only wells that were flooded during Helene be tested. Where to get a well-testing kit:

✔️ Johnson County, TN: Tennessee/NC State Line Resource Center (11878 US-421, Trade, TN) from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday – CLOSED Wednesday & Sunday.

✔️Watauga County, NC: The Greenhouse (164 Depot Street Boone, NC 28607) to pick up supplies and check in with our team on Monday or Thursday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Completely fill sample bottle with well water from your sink and return to us within 24 hours of collection time (ex. if you collect sampling supplies on a Thursday evening, wait until Sunday night to collect your water sample). Drop off your water sample and I.D. sheet back at the Greenhouse on Monday or Thursday between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Results will be communicated to you within 36 hours.

Soil and Water Pollution Testing Updates

🔬MountainTrue continues to survey the impact of Hurricane Helene on the French Broad River and its tributaries. We recently received another batch of test results back from the lab and we believe the news is overwhelmingly good. Here are the latest results from Cane Creek in Fletcher, the French Broad River in Hot Springs, French Broad River in Marshall, the French Broad River in Asheville, and Hominy Creek at Hominy Creek Greenway:

Out of ~185 chemical pollutants that we tested for, we found almost none of the pollutants present in any of our samples. The only pollutants we found in these latest samples were metals. Each sample contained some level of metals, but the vast majority of the metals consisted of more benign metals such as iron, manganese, zinc, strontium, and aluminum. While some of these do have drinking water standards, for the most part, the levels we found in our samples were below those standards, and we were not testing drinking water.

We did find lead, chromium, and mercury in our soil sample from Marshall. The levels of Chromium and Mercury were below the drinking water standard. The levels of lead were 28.9 mg/kg, which is below EPA’s safe level for soil of 400 mg/kg.

We believe this is good news for the quality of the water around the French Broad Watershed. We’re still awaiting several more samples and we’ll continue to take samples throughout the watershed, but are very encouraged with the pollution levels found so far in our waterways and river sediment.

🔬The Broad Riverkeeper sampled the Broad River this past Monday, from the Greenway in Boiling Springs, up to 1/2 mile below the Lake Lure dam. Bacteria levels were fairly low everywhere, but turbidity was very high below the lake. The Broad Riverkeeper sampled at Hwy 150, Hwy 221, Coxe Road, Grays Road, Rock Springs Ch. Road, and just below the dam. The Lake Lure waste water treatment plant is partially operational after being out of service for a month, so the no flush order has been lifted for most residents. Plans are being made to build a new treatment plant on higher ground, out of the floodplain. Shoutout to the awesome folks at Rutherford Outdoor Coalition for helping our sampling efforts!

🔬 The Watauga Riverkeeper team has collected 50+ surface water samples from the New, Watauga, and Elk Rivers. We’re happy to announce that our regular monthly chemical sampling program, VWIN, is back online post-hurricane. So far, E. coli levels have remained lower than normal, but we will continue to sample and track down sources of pollution. Thank you to folks who have reported water quality issues. As always, if you see something, say something!

River Cleanups Update

🗑️ The French Broad Riverkeeper continues to haul out massive amounts of trash from our riparian areas. Since Helene, we’ve removed over 84,000 lbs of trash. French Broad Paddle Trail Manager Jack Henderson recently held another successful cleanup at Redmond Dam. In the coming weeks, we’ll be significantly expanding our cleanup operations after hiring a river cleanup coordinator, so look for a lot more cleanups in the near future.

🗑️ The Watauga Riverkeeper also continues to haul out massive amounts of trash from our riparian areas. Since Helene, we’ve removed over 27,000 pounds of trash with volunteers across nine river cleanups. Thank you to partners like The Speckled Trout Outfitters and Blue Ridge Conservancy for helping coordinate debris removal! And thank you to Deer Valley Athletic Club and Beech Mountain Ski Resort for supporting our clean ups and providing snacks and refreshments to volunteers. If you’re interested in sponsoring a future clean up, please contact hannah@mountaintrue.org

🗑 Upcoming river cleanups:

✔️ Buncombe County, NC:

🔹11/21, Alexander: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. @ Whittier Branch. Learn more + register.

🔹12/5, location TBD: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

🔹12/12, location TBD: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

✔️ Watauga County, NC:

🔹12/14, Sugar Grove: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ Winklers Creek. Learn more + register.

✔️ Polk County, NC:

🔹12/14, Saluda: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. @ Lower Green; roadside cleanup. Learn more + register.

Other River Updates: High Country

Resilient Forests Team

Hot Springs Workday w/ Carolina Mountain Club on Nov. 30

Work to clean up trails and parts of town that were impacted by Helene. All are welcome and youth ages 14+ can participate with a guardian. Bring lunch, water, boots, long pants, a long sleeve shirt, raingear, and work gloves. CMC will provide any tools and PPE needed. Learn more + register.

Public Safety/Access Announcements

Please respect closures of public land to allow for continued recovery efforts from Helene. Much of Pisgah National Forest remains closed, but the Pisgah Ranger District and a portion of the Grandfather Ranger District are now open.

Chainsaw Certification Classes

There is a great need for folks to help clear trails to reopen recreational opportunities on public land, but federal saw certification is required to use a chainsaw on federal lands. If you are an experienced sawyer and want to get your federal saw card, McDowell Tech is offering six chainsaw classes in the next two months; click here to learn more.

Free Firewood Collection: Pisgah National Forest

Pisgah National Forest is waiving permit requirements for collecting down firewood along open roads until December 2025. Please respect closure orders.

Healthy Communities Team

Design Volunteers Needed!

To make this initiative a success, we need volunteers from a variety of design disciplines, including:

✔️Architects

✔️Engineers (structural and civil)

✔️Landscape Architects

✔️Environmental Consultants

✔️Land Planners

✔️Surveyors

✔️Soil Scientists

Mold Matters Event w/ Thrive Asheville

MountainTrue is partnering with Thrive Asheville and other partners to host a program called Mold Matters on Monday, November 25 from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. This program invites you to learn about the health risks associated with mold after flooding and provides guidance and options for how to remediate mold risks in a home. Information on accessing mold kits will also be provided to assist with ongoing monitoring and prevention. RSVP to attend in person here or RSVP to attend virtually here.

FEMA Application Deadline Extended to Jan. 7, 2025

To complete your application…

✔️ In-Person: Visit your local Disaster Recovery Center (DRC Locator: https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator)

✔️ Online: DisasterAssistance.gov available 24/7.

✔️ Phone: 800-621-3362, available daily 7:00am-11:00pm, multilingual.

Henderson County, NC, Affordable Housing Listening Sessions

Henderson County residents: check out the rescheduled listening session dates here.

Creation Care Alliance

CCA continues to connect congregations from unimpacted areas to communities in need. Recently, groups from St. John’s Episcopal Church in Sylva, First Baptist Church of Sylva, and Cullowhee United Methodist Church traveled to Mitchell and McDowell counties to help sort donations and deliver items that continue to be essential, like heaters.

Action Alert: Help Us Remove Debris From Our Rivers After Hurricane Helene

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Our rivers are in a state of emergency. The aftermath of Hurricane Helene has left our waterways choked with millions of tons of debris and pollution. While our communities have shown resilience in the face of this disaster, the task of restoring our rivers is a pressing and ongoing one. Below are photos from a recent scouting trip down the Swannanoa River that underscore just how much work is still left to be done.

Yet, we’re left anxiously waiting for the “Big Cleanup,” which will require millions of dollars in state investment. This will help us get boots on the ground and hire hundreds of out-of-work people in our region to clean up and restore our rivers.

Please take action today by emailing your NC Senate and House leaders to let them know that the recovery of our rivers and local outdoor economy needs their help. It is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention and inclusion in Helene relief legislation expected to be taken up this week at the NC General Assembly.

Take Action

What’s at Stake:

Outdoor Recreation Drives Our Economy: Outdoor recreation contributes $4.9 billion in visitor spending annually to our region, supports 48,000 full-time jobs, and generates $197.5 million in county taxes.
Our Rivers Are Central to Recreation: 36% of visitors come to fish, 24% to swim, and 14% to paddle or tube. Without healthy rivers, these economic and cultural benefits are at risk. (MADE x MTNS Outdoor Recreation Participation Study)
A Unified Call for Action: The health of our rivers is not a partisan issue. It’s a matter of public safety, environmental stewardship, and economic vitality.

We need your voice to convince our lawmakers to swiftly pass a robust Hurricane Relief package that includes the funding we need to remove debris from our rivers and protect our outdoor economy.

Take Action Today:

Email Your Legislators Now:
Tell your NC Senate and House leaders why restoring our rivers matters to you and your community.
Make It Personal:
Share your story about how our rivers impact your life, whether it’s through fishing, paddling, swimming, or simply enjoying their natural beauty. Make sure your voice is heard.
Spread the Word:
Share this alert with friends and family. The more people who take action, the louder our call for restoration will be.

Together, we can make a difference. Let’s restore our rivers, protect our outdoor economy, and ensure that future generations can enjoy the beauty and bounty of Western North Carolina’s waterways.

Sincerely,

Hartwell Carson
French Broad Riverkeeper
& Interim Clean Waters Director

Photos taken from a November 15 scouting trip down the Swannanoa

Hurricane Helene Recovery Update – November 6, 2024

Dear Friends and Supporters,

When Mr. Rogers was a boy and would see scary things in the news, his mother would say to him, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ With the devastation all around us and many still struggling, you don’t have to look far to find people showing up for one another. It’s true, our lively towns and the beautiful mountains we call home are struggling. However, mountain people have never been the type to waller in self pity. We have a deep connection to this place, to one another, and a can-do spirit. We will rise again amidst our losses because that’s what we do.

As we wake up the morning after the election, many in our community are afraid, and others feel joyous. But, I suspect most of us, regardless of our party affiliation, continue to feel uneasy and concerned. Let’s not let political division undermine the sense of community that we’ve fostered and witnessed in the aftermath of Hurricane Helen, and hold onto the sense of unity that we’ve built and support each other in being our best selves.

At MountainTrue I have been continually inspired by our staff and volunteers. Read below to learn how we’ve been out there … helping. Because that’s what we do. In time, our communities will rebound, our rivers will be restored, and our forests will once again provide solitude and inspiration.

We appreciate you for being a helper and joining our recovery efforts. Together we are MountainStrong.

Bob Wagner

Executive Director

Contribute to the MountainStrong Recovery & Resilience Fund

Clean Waters Team

Public Safety Announcements

⚠️ Read our Volunteer Safety Guidelines blog – always wear your PPE when participating in a cleanup or if you know you’ll come in contact with mud/sediment leftover from Helene.

⚠️ MountainTrue’s Riverkeepers and Clean Waters Team ask that you stay out of rivers and waterways at the moment.

Riverkeepers from North Carolina and beyond gather in the MountainTrue Asheville office to help the French Broad Riverkeeper test well samples.

Well Water Testing Updates

💧The Watauga Riverkeeper continues to offer free well testing in partnership with the NC Department of Health and Human Services and Waterkeepers Carolina. With two well-testing stations set up in Trade, TN, and Boone, NC, our High Country/Watauga Riverkeeper Team has processed over 80 water samples since Helene hit. We’re seeing about an 18% failure rate and are referring folks to their local health department for further well/spring testing and disinfection. In addition to our well and spring testing, we have also been testing surface water along the Watauga, New, and Elk rivers. We have collected 30 river samples, and have been pleasantly surprised at the results with an average 30% failure rate based on the NC Department of Health and Human Services recreational E. coli standard (126 MPN/cfu). Looking ahead, water sampling for both wells and surface water will remain a priority in our High Country office.

💧The French Broad Riverkeeper Team had six well-sampling sites last week and processed over 125 samples. We’re seeing about a 35% failure rate in samples and are referring folks to their local health departments to get their wells treated. We also took another 10 chemical samples looking at a wide variety of pollutants. We’re starting to get those results back and will analyze and communicate the results soon. Those samples will determine where we conduct future sampling.

✔️ Johnson County, TN: Tennessee/NC State Line Resource Center (11878 US-421, Trade, TN) from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday – CLOSED Wednesday & Sunday.

✔️Watauga County, NC: The Greenhouse (164 Depot Street Boone, NC 28607) to pick up supplies and check-in with our team on Monday or Thursday from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Completely fill sample bottle with well water from your sink and return to us within 24 hours of collection time (ex. if you collect sampling supplies on a Thursday evening, wait until Sunday night to collect your water sample). Drop off your water sample and I.D. sheet back at the Greenhouse on Monday or Thursday between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Results will be communicated to you within 36 hours.

Precision Grading working to assess and remove debris in the Green River Cove with the Green Riverkeeper.

River Cleanups Update

🗑️ Last week, the French Broad Riverkeeper hosted another very successful river cleanup in Asheville’s River Arts District. Since the hurricane, our team has picked up over 1100 bags of trash and approximately 73,000 pounds of trash. In the coming weeks, we’ll be hosting additional river cleanups and water sampling days to start to identify sewer leaks and other pollution sources.

🗑️ The Green Riverkeeper continues to manage cleanup efforts on the Lower Green with Precision Grading, removing cars, homes, RVs, trailers, and more from the river.

🗑 Upcoming river cleanups:

✔️ Watauga County, NC:

🔹11/7, Boone: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. w/ Blue Ridge Conservancy and the Middle Fork Greenway. Learn more + register.

🔹11/9, Boone: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ Deer Valley Athletic Club. Learn more + register.

🔹11/23, Boone: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. @ Winklers Creek. Learn more + register.

✔️ Buncombe County, NC:

🔹11/8, Arden: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. @ Glen Bridge River Park. Learn more + register.

🔹11/14, Asheville: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., volunteers will meet @ MountainTrue’s Asheville Office for further French Broad River Sampling Blitz. Learn more + register.

🔹11/21, Alexander: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. @ Whittier Branch. Learn more + register.

🔹12/5, location TBD: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

🔹12/12, location TBD: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Learn more + register.

✔️ Marshall/Madison County, NC: 11/14 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. @ Redmon Dam River Access. Learn more + register.

Resilient Forests Team

Public Safety/Access Announcements

While the Appalachian and Grandfather Ranger Districts of Pisgah National Forest remain closed, most other units of public land in the area are open. On November 1, all of the mountain State Parks opened, as well as some of the trails in Dupont State Forest.

Get Involved w/ Local Groups

Many groups in the area are hard at work helping to reopen our public lands and trails. Check out the following volunteer opportunities with these organizations:

🌲 Carolina Mountain Club: for ongoing (Monday-Saturday) volunteer opportunities to assist with trail work, email volunteer@carolinamountainclub.org.

🌲 Pisgah Area SORBA (Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association): to be alerted of future volunteer opportunities, fill out this form.

🌲 Northwest NC Mountain Bike Alliance:

🍂 11/16 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.: work with the Alliance and NC NICA Teams to clean up and repair damage at Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir in Wilkesboro, NC. Sign up here.

🍂 11/30 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.: help the Alliance clean up and repair the Zack’s Fork Mountain Bike Trail in Lenoir, NC. Read more here.

🌲 Friends of Panthertown: 11/11 & 11/12 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.: hike and help with trail maintenance in Panthertown Valley. Read more and sign up here.

🌲 Wild South: help with shifting hurricane relief and recovery efforts by filling out the contact form on this page with your daily availability. Read more here.

🌲 Friends of DuPont Forest: 11/12 from 8:45 a.m. – 12 p.m.: help clear debris and restore drainages along Shoal Creek Trail in DuPont State Forest. Read more and sign up here.

Healthy Communities Team

Design Volunteers Needed!

To make this initiative a success, we need volunteers from a variety of design disciplines, including:

✔️Architects

✔️Engineers (structural and civil)

✔️Landscape Architects

✔️Environmental Consultants

✔️Land Planners

✔️Surveyors

✔️Soil Scientists

Support an Eviction Moratorium and Boost Housing Aid for Helene Survivors

Join us in urging Governor Cooper to take immediate action to protect those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Many residents are facing eviction and displacement, and we need decisive action. By enacting an eviction moratorium and increasing housing funding, we can help vulnerable families stay in their homes and begin to rebuild. Take a moment to email the governor and ask for his support. Visit More Neighbors WNC’s action page to learn more and make your voice heard!

Henderson County, NC, Affordable Housing Listening Sessions

Henderson County residents: check out the rescheduled listening session dates here.

Creation Care Alliance (CCA)

CCA volunteer Hannah Collins prepares to deliver donated supplies to communities in need.

CCA has partnered with Latinos Aventureros to support Spanish-speaking communities via resourcing congregational hubs and connecting our CCA volunteers. We’re also in the process of connecting families whose belongings were lost in the storm with much-needed larger resources donated by some awesome folks, such as a camper and car.

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